Minneapolis is waking to mostly clear skies and temperatures around 73 degrees Wednesday morning, but the quiet start is headed toward a hot, smoky afternoon. The high is expected to reach 92 degrees, with heat index values near 95, before the weather takes a sharper turn late Thursday. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are increasingly likely Thursday night into Friday.
Hot Wednesday With Smoke By Afternoon
Mostly sunny skies will dominate Wednesday, July 29, before patchy smoke moves in between 1 and 4 p.m. A slight chance of showers develops late in the afternoon and evening, but the chance of rain is only about 20 percent.
The National Weather Service Twin Cities office expects light south winds of 0 to 5 mph and says surface smoke impacts should remain limited. Wednesday night stays warm and partly cloudy, with a low around 73 and another slight chance of showers.
Storms Could Soak The Twin Cities
Thursday will still feel like summer, with partly sunny skies, patchy morning smoke and a high near 89 degrees. The bigger weather story arrives Thursday night, when showers and thunderstorms become likely, with an 80 percent chance of rain and new rainfall totals between one-half and three-quarters of an inch.
Friday turns much cooler, with rain showers likely throughout the day, a high near 78 degrees and another 80 percent chance of precipitation. The NWS forecast discussion says heavy rain is increasingly likely across the region, though confidence remains low on exactly where the heaviest totals will land.
Sunny Weekend Offers A Reset
Rain may linger into Friday night, when there is a 50 percent chance of showers, but the weekend should bring a clean break. Saturday and Sunday look sunny with highs near 84 degrees, followed by a warmer Monday near 87.
That is a notable shift from the heat-focused setup outlined in an earlier Minneapolis forecast: this time, the main disruption is packed into Thursday night and Friday, while the weekend looks much friendlier for outdoor plans.
